Invisible Families

Has your family become invisible?

This recession/depression has created a whole new class of people I call the Invisible Class.  You were once identified as the Middle Class. You may have been lower, middle or even upper middle class and on some level you were comfortable and managing a life you worked hard for and grew accustomed to.

You had jobs which made it possible to feed your families, pay the monthly bills, squirrel away a few coins in some sort of savings plan and afforded you the ability to splurge on a few not so necessary items flush with bells and whistles. You live in the suburbs or an upscale urban environment, drive a halfway decent car and your children are enrolled in good schooling systems.

The unprecedented loss of jobs, crash of the housing market and mismanaged investments in this economic meltdown has created new challenges for your family.  Some of you are struggling with the loss of 1 job and in many cases the loss of 2. Many of you are now scratching in the dirt trying to put groceries on the table, heat your homes and pay your mortgages.  You may be 1 payment away from not being able to pay the mortgage or are already in default. 

Pizza and movie night is a thing of the past; certainly not the worst thing that could happen, but one reality checkpoint.

The government makes great efforts to identify families living on the poverty belt and provides resources to assist them in securing basic needs as they should, but there are no checks and balances for families hovering on or right above the poverty line.  And no one was ready for the masses of people who now fall into this category every day.  Organizations are frantically trying to collect the data and figure out how to best serve this new population.

You are for all intent and purposes, "Invisible" and you need help.
 


There is some help out there but you must be prepared to step out of your comfort zone.  Put your pride aside and reach out.  There is no magic.  This situation is not going to magically be resolved.  It did not happen overnight and it will not be solutioned overnight. I believe that it will be a very long time before we begin to see the light after this period of darkness.

At the bottom of my blog are a few website links that provide information on assistance for food, utilities, clothes, job development and more. These organizations are staffed with individuals who understand your plight and respect your privacy.

New Jersey Residents and in some cases Essex County only:

• BlueWaveNJ - can help with getting food stamps (hey it's not like it used to be, no more booklets with food stamp money to be pulled out, your food stamp benefits are on a swipeable card, can be used in the grocery store and BJ's now accepts the card).  Read this article in the New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/us/29foodstamps.html?_r=1&emc=eta1, tutors for your school age children, quality clothing, financial planning counseling, all FREE of charge.  FREE does not mean without quality or value!!
• A Partnership for a Better Tomorrow - you can apply for utility (gas & electric) assistance.
• National Council of Jewish Women/Center for Women - amongst other services, they provide one on one FREE career counseling, training and job development.
• Citizen Action Economic Security Center - a resource for information on health insurance, free tax preparation and more.  Call 888-829-3711.

And remember, these organizations will have additional information on other services they provide and are a resource to other organizations.  Don't hesitate to ask for the help you need.

If this information is not needed by your family, I am sure you know of a family that could use some assistance.  I believe that we can all help one person get back on their feet.

If anyone reading this blog has additional helpful information for another state or county, please contribute.

Help one person, help yourself.